Shandong, Discover Confucius, 10 days

10 days / 9 nights - POA

Get under the skin of Chinese culture and discover the nation's impressive history that still shapes its politics today. Start in Beijing, to walk on The Great Wall of China and learn Kung Fu. Then head to Shandong, the birthplace of Confucianism to hike up a sacred Taoist mountain, visit Confucius Temple, a local Chinese school, and learn about Confucian thought and influence. Find out more about our Beijing-Shandong tour by contacting us directly, or read our detailed itinerary below!

Itinerary

Day 1: Beijing

Arrive at Beijing Capital Airport and transfer to your accommodation. Take a guided walk through one of Beijing’s ancient hutong areas. In the evening, enjoy a welcome banquet and trip briefing.

Day 2: Beijing

Kick start your day with a Kung Fu lesson in the park. Visit the Temple of Heaven to see classic Imperial Chinese architecture and visit the Summer Palace in the afternoon.

Day 3: Beijing

Travel to the outskirts of the city (2 hours) and hike (2-3 hours) to a secluded and incredibly beautiful section of the Great Wall. Watch a stunning acrobatics show in the evening.

Day 4: Beijing - Jinan

Begin the day with a Chinese cooking class. In the afternoon, attend a workshop about Confucius thought and Chinese history. Browse for gifts and local delicacies at Pearl Market for some souvenirs and in the evening, hop on the fast train to Jinan.

Day 5: Jinan

Visit a local Chinese school and practice Mandarin with the local students. Tour the famous Baotu Spring Park and take a walk through the old city – an area as rich in history as it is in beauty.

Day 6: Tai'an

Visit Mount Tai, known as the most sacred mountain in China and the king of The Five Peaks. Hike up the mountain and sketch the incredible landscape. Students can unwind at the end of the day with either a Chinese foot-massage or back-cupping!

Day 7: Qufu

Visit The Temple of Confucius, the largest and most celebrated Confucius temple in Asia. Follow an afternoon manner course and get to grips with Chinese customs. Pick up a bow and arrow and learn the art of traditional Chinese archery. In the evening, grab the fast train to Weifang.

Day 8: Weifang

Let’s go fly a kite at Yangjiabu Folklore Village before you zip off on the fast train to visit Penglai Pagoda, a 1000-year-old pavilion that is closely entangled with the Taoist legend of the “Eight Immortals crossing the sea”. Take the night train back to Beijing.

Day 9: Beijing

Learn about China’s Imperial history at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Take in the panoramic view of historic Beijing from Jingshan Park and visit Wangfujing Night Market to sample some Chinese delicacies.

Departures 2017/2018

Accommodation:

Students stay in private single sex twin rooms. Teachers stay in private rooms.

Transport:

All transportation within China, including all inner-city transfers. City transportation in private and fully insured coaches or occasionally public transport.

Transfers to other cities will either be through internal flights, fast trains and day trains, or overnight sleeper trains. The class of each transport is indicated on the itinerary.

Food:

All meals during your stay according to the itinerary.

Most meals will be local Chinese food, and we try to choose a variety of different food in each city, as well as local specialities. We are flexible on the trip and have experience in ordering food for students. For trips longer than seven days we will typically have at least one western fast food meal or a similar alternative for lunch or dinner.

Breakfasts are typically western style.

Bottled drinking water is provided on the coach.

Guide:

One lead guide and local guide at each location.

Groups of 15 students or more will have a lead guide throughout the trip and local guide at each location. Groups of less than 15 students will have local guides at each site and trains, and flight transfers will be unguided.

"Thank you for Making the trip such a wonderful memory."
– Villanova University (US University)

"We had a fantastic immersive experience with The Dragon Trip. Travelling with IBDP CAS students, we were able to access experiences on all domains of Creativity, Activity and Service. Our Bilingual guides were friendly and enthusiastic with excellent local contacts.”
- Beijing BISS International School (Chinese International School)

To book or find out more, contact us

From Our Latest Adventures

We interviewed Lesley Chen, our school trip designer-extraordinaire, to find out more about The Dragon Trip’s Shandong Learning Adventures. Find out why she recommends Shandong as your next school trip destination.

Qingdao, a city in Shandong province, China, is famous for its imperial architecture, beautiful coastline and beer exported to 62 countries. CRCC intern, John, wrote a blog about his experiences when he visited the city with The Dragon Trip.